Prior art high-force impact damping devices have relied on the plastic deformation of metal, to which the impact force is transmitted, to absorb the shock force with a damping action avoiding the storage of emergy in the form of resilience and which after absorption of the shock force, might cause a harmful release of emergy in a direction opposite to that of the absorbed force.
One example, is U.S. Pat. No. 2,275,573 where the plastically deformable metal is made in the shape of a tube or hollow cone which is radially offset by penetration of a wedge-like member which receives the shock force. However, this involves such complicated calculations for determining the force absorption and damping effects, that for all practical purposes the action of the device cannot be estimated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,864 discloses a device with a deformable metal in a pressure-resistant cylinder, an impact force receiving ram in the cylinder and engaging the metal acting to extrude the latter through passages. This arrangement is more adaptable to aircraft constructions, a pressure-resistant cylinder of adequate structural strength to be useful in the case of applications requiring the absorption and damping of very high impact forces becoming extremely expensive and involving great design complications.
To meet the conditions encountered in the case of nuclear reactor components involving extremely high impact forces, the German Offenlegungsschrift 2,060,794 suggests the use of a shock-absorbing and damping element made of aluminum or iron and arranged between a supporting structure and a head plate which receives the shock force. However, the head plate has a concave surface, the mating surface of the aluminum or iron member being correspondingly shaped, the intention being to accommodate forces directed not only axially with respect to the device, but also at various inclined angles as well. Therefore, this device also introduces difficulties in calculations such as are required to at least estimate the effects that will result when the operation of the device is required.